CONTROVERSIAL plans to build a 3G pitch in Victoria Park, Peebles, have been dropped, Scottish Borders Council have confirmed.

A report is set to be prepared for the Council's Executive in May, which will reccommend that the planning application should be withdrawn and that a new consultation should be carried out with the Peebles community to try and identify the best location for the pitch. 

The decision follows weeks of discussions between the six Tweeddale members of SBC, the pitch project team, and Council Leader David Parker about how best to take the 3G pitch forward.

The report will provide more information on the Peebles 3G pitch project and set out more details on the various sites that have been considered.

If the Executive agrees with these recommendations, then a new timescale and delivery programme for the 3G pitch will come forward in due course.

The six Tweeddale councillors have faced immense pressure from a large proportion of Peebles residents to drop the plans, and they do recognise the concerns about the Victoria Park site, as well as the other sites which have been considered and rejected to date.

As a result, they are keen to have a renewed dialogue with the Peebles community to try and secure a site for a 3G pitch which the majority of the community can support.

Councillor Catriona Bhatia, Deputy Leader of Scottish Borders Council, said: “This announcement is effectively a moratorium on the 3G pitch proposal in Peebles.

“Officers and Councillors have worked very hard over many weeks and months with the local community to examine and re-examine all of the options but it is clear that cost pressures and other factors mean that the best course of action is to pause the project at this time.

“The Tweeddale Members appreciate that this will be met with different responses from the community, and hope to move forward positively to improve sporting provision in the town in future years.”